Ex-AEW Star ‘Wasn’t Happy Just Sitting Around Collecting A Paycheck’

AEW

An ex-AEW star says he “wasn’t happy just sitting around collecting a paycheck” in the company.

Frankie Kazarian was one of the original stars signed to All Elite Wrestling at the inception of the company in 2019.

Despite becoming one half of the first AEW World Tag Team Champions and a prominent member of the roster at the offset, things started to change for Kazarian, and he started to be featured less during his time in the promotion.

Speaking with Brian Hebner on the “Refin’ It Up” podcast, Kazarian was asked why he left AEW. He answered:

“Plain and simple, I wasn’t happy just sitting around collecting a paycheck. I’m not wired to sit on the sidelines. especially when I know that I should and could be in the starting lineup. That’s just not how I’m wired.”

“I believe in myself as a wrestler that I think, and I’m positive, that I can help any company that I’m a part of from an in-ring perspective, in my opinion, was not being utilized like I should, and looking at the writing on the wall, it didn’t look like that was going to change, and that’s fine. That’s 100% fine.”

“That’s no indictment on AEW at all. Not at all. If anything, that’s an indictment on me. Maybe for once in my life, for once in my career, I got selfish. I was never selfish.”

“I’ve always been very giving, but you know what? It’s time for me to think about me and my legacy of what I’m doing and what I want to do.”

“I had the opportunity to say, ‘Hey, I’m ready to go elsewhere if this is the way things are going here’ I’m so thankful I was able to because I am having so much fun and I love being in the Impact Wrestling locker room. I’m so happy I had the balls to bet on myself.”

Frankie Kazarian let his AEW contract expire and went on to sign with IMPACT Wrestling at the beginning of 2023.

Transcription via Wrestling News

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• paycheck
• frankie kazarian
• Impact Wrestling
• AEW

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